


Ways to Say "I Love You"

by freetolive603



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-01 21:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2788370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freetolive603/pseuds/freetolive603
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles inspired by http://jade-jillayne.tumblr.com/post/104127455621/good-morning-how-was-your-day-be-careful. Alternates between Danny and Mindy saying the quote. Nonlinear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "Good Morning" - Danny

Danny accidentally slammed the door behind himself. “Shit,” he whispered. He knew he should have been more careful.

Mindy stirred awake and opened her eyes to see a disheveled Danny in light blue scrubs walking over to her. The strong sunlight shining into the room was being tempered by the wooden blinds on the window. She could barely register anything else.

“Good morning,” he said, rubbing the back of his fingers across her forehead. “I’m sorry for waking you.”

She closed her eyes again, his gentle touch lulling her back to sleep. “It’s okay.” The gruffness in her voice made her sound almost pained. “What time is it?"

Danny went to grab a change of clothes and head towards the bathroom. “It’s seven in the morning. The delivery took seventeen hours, so Peter and I took turns.” He exhaled loudly. “I’m gonna take a shower and go to bed. You just go to sleep, okay?”

Mindy barely muttered her understanding, quickly falling back asleep. She felt Danny lay down on the bed some time later and heard his sigh of relief at the feeling of the soft bed underneath him. The two faced opposite directions when falling asleep naturally, this morning being no different.

“If you have another patient go into labor this weekend, I can take them on,” she said, wiping her face to wake herself up, if only slightly. “You should get some rest.”

“I’m not expecting anything, but thank you for the offer.” Danny shifted to get comfortable, resting an arm underneath the pillow. “Mmh, I’m exhausted. Thank God it’s Saturday.”

She rolled over onto her side and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Good night,” she mumbled into the gray fabric on his back. His T-shirt was incredibly soft. Mindy wished he were her size so she could steal it from him.

“Good night,” he said. A beat later came, “I love you.” But by then, all Mindy could say was gibberish, her desire for sleep taking over. Danny chuckled to himself and finally let himself fall into a much-earned deep sleep, as well.


	2. "How Was Your Day?" - Mindy

“Hi, Danny,” Mindy said perkily, setting down her take-out box containing a bacon and egg cheeseburger and fries at her usual seat in the cafeteria.

She was surprised to even see him there, since he usually was shuttling around the hospital, grumbling about something or the other. Her mind spun with thoughts of the different complaints he could bring up about this one room – unsanitary tables, unhealthy food, unnecessarily loud conversations, annoying children, etc. How he was planning on becoming a doctor she had no idea. In fact, she had met way too many people during both med school and residency that simply did not have people skills at all. She hoped they all became surgeons or chose some specialty where they barely had to interact with their patients.

Mindy, on the other hand, loved talking to the patients. It was her favorite part – they all stared at her in such awe and swallowed up every word she said. It was more than she could say for most of these socially awkward nerds who had no idea what Ryan Gosling’s filmography consisted of and honestly didn’t care.

Danny muttered, “Why me, God?”

Mindy feigned ignorance. She was _not_ going to be taken aback by his incredibly rude personality and holier-than-thou attitude. “Well, what have you got there?” She peered over at his food. “A grilled chicken salad, huh? Quite an experimenter. No granola bar for you today,” Mindy teased, wiggling her eyebrows and pointing out his usual meal. 

She, on the other hand, grabbed her deliciously thick burger and took a huge bite. Some juicy liquid fell out the side into the Styrofoam box and coated the French fries. 

Danny grimaced in disgust. _She was a doctor! How could she possibly eat so unhealthily?_ He gave up on his initial idea of having a meal alone, figuring he could shovel down the food as fast as possible and get out of there. There had to be some work for him to do. There always was, after all.

“Yeah, no granola bar today,” Danny said dryly and then paused. “So, why are you sitting with me again?”

Mindy shook her head wistfully, “Danny, Danny. I always sit here. _You_ are, in fact, sitting at _my_ table.”

“Sorry,” he said gruffly. “I didn’t know.” He stabbed his fork into his salad and took another bite.

“That’s alright! I love having company,” Mindy smiled brightly. There was that never-ending optimism again. It matched the hot pink of her impractical plaid dress. He, on the other hand, was in sensible slacks and a button-up. The differences between these two unlikely lunch buddies (one day only!) were stark. “How was your day?”

“Um…” He honestly didn’t know how to answer the question. How many times had he even been asked how his day was? It seemed like everyone was too busy to care and he, too busy to reflect. “It’s been…the usual.”

“Danny, my friend, we have got to work on your conversation skills together.”

Danny grumbled to himself thinking there was no way in the Pope’s name he would ever be friends with someone like Mindy Lahiri, and she was delusional for thinking otherwise.


	3. "Be Careful" - Danny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set before the initial scene of 2x16

Mindy heard a loud knocking at her door and ran over from the closet. Or really, stumbled over all the clothes that were strewn on the floor. She yelped in surprise at the sensation of tripping on an unexpected white dress that had made its way to the front door, but was able to hold onto the door handle for stability. She lifted herself back up and took a moment to gather herself. There was no way her ass was going to get bruised on that hardwood tonight. It would totally ruin the mood, although maybe she could use that as an excuse before things got too far…

Mindy opened the door to see Danny dressed in a black sweater and dark jeans and holding his jacket swung over his shoulder. “Hey,” he grinned, the slightest hint of a smirk settled on his face. He knew how bad she had it for him, and it was the worst. “Falling for me already?” he asked in a low voice.

She blinked a couple of times in shock. All the blood somehow seemed to escape from her head just due to the sound of his unrealistically sensual voice. How she had managed to stay immune to his charm all these years, she had no idea anymore.

“What are you talking about?” Mindy smiled awkwardly and played her hesitation off.

Danny moved around her to come inside since she clearly wasn’t going to extend an invitation. “I could hear you falling as you came to the door. You okay?” He looked down at the clothes on the ground and picked up one of the many options she had considered for a total of three seconds before deciding it was out of style or would give him the wrong idea or wasn’t an appropriate option for their plans.

She sputtered. “Pfft, I’m fine. You probably just heard the cat that keeps following me around fall out the window. It’s no big deal.” Mindy closed the door and observed him standing in the living area. 

Danny threw the piece of clothing back down and turned around to take a long look at her. She always looked good, but somehow that tight, long-sleeved green animal print dress was doing it more for him than usual. He was having a tough time maintaining composure, but forced himself to. He liked to make her believe that he had the upper hand. It was endearing as hell to watch her squirm as her resolve fell apart. 

“I like what you’re wearing a lot better than that.”

Mindy smiled with more confidence than before. As she walked over to him, she tripped on the dress he had so hastily discarded only a few seconds earlier. He was able to catch her by her waist and stand her upright. Danny scolded lightly while running his hands up and down her arms, “Babe, be careful. I really don’t want you getting hurt.”

“You’re the one who threw—wait, babe? Did you just call me babe?” she leaned back to look at his face incredulously.

Danny shrugged casually. Somehow, every time Mindy treated something like a huge deal, Danny had the ability to make it seem like nothing. Maybe he just didn’t want to acknowledge the importance of each step along the way. Danny distracted her with light pecks along her jawline. His hands were traveling the expanse of her back, desperately wishing there was a hidden zipper he could tug at to feel more of her.

Mindy let her hands wrap around his neck and brought him in for a lingering kiss, her fingers threading their way through his curls. She pulled away slowly after some time. “Do you want to skip our dinner reservations and just stay here?” she asked, emphasizing her big, brown eyes.

“Damn, I must be good,” Danny whispered gruffly, kissing her roughly.


	4. "Text Me When You Get Home So I Know You’re Safe" - Mindy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindy organizes the second annual Shulman & Associates' Club Night, but it doesn't go as planned.

The second annual Shulman & Associates’ Club Night did not go exactly the way Mindy wanted. Despite her having planned every last detail to the T down to what shots she was going to take in what order, she realized that day that one little curveball could throw all your plans out the window.

The heartbroken doctor was hoping she could use the occasion to try and forget all about Danny. It had been near impossible to do until then since she not only had to see him every day at work, but also found little touches of him all over her apartment. A new, trendy club would be a neutral zone though. She had no memories of him there, no reason to think of him.

But then, Danny decided to come, which ruined _everything_.

Mindy put on one of those dresses she knew he despised. It was sparkly and bright to the point where it didn’t even complement her skin tone, but she didn’t care. He would never be able to pretend that she wore this dress for him, and that was good enough for her.

She strutted into the club with her entourage and took her seat at one end of the white leather couch, and Danny, the other, as the others went to go dance. She hated his formal black shirt and gray slacks, which completely worked with his salt-and-pepper hair. It made her choke down a drink she hadn’t accounted for.

Plenty a mysterious, alluring stranger had come up to proposition them to dance, but they turned them down every time, choosing to face away from each other and just continue drinking. Danny and Mindy had faked it through relationships and courtships before, but this night felt different. There was a certain sense of accountability that strapped them to their seats, as if they couldn’t possibly get up unless the person coming up to them was _really_ worth it. And no one would ever be worth it as much as they were to each other.

“Dr. Lahiri! Come dance with us!” Betsy insisted as she ran up to her.

Tamra followed quickly behind and started gyrating as an example. “Yeah, girl! Let’s see that booty on the dance floor!”

Mindy smiled at her colleagues’ enthusiasm and decided to join them. After all, there was no harm in having some fun with her girls, right? She swayed and twisted until she washed away the image of Danny Castellano from her mind. The feeling was freeing, a sense of escapism taking over her body.

Eventually, she got tired of dancing in her too-high heels and headed back to take a seat on the couch. She plopped down and looked over to where Danny had been sitting only to see that Peter had replaced him with a redhead fawning all over him.

Mindy stumbled over to him. “Peter? Peter!”

“Hmm?” he removed his face from the redhead’s neck. “What’s up, girl?!”

“Where’s Danny?” she asked as neutrally as she could manage in her heightened state.

Peter shrugged, “I dunno. He just said he was going to leave and that the couch was all mine.”

Mindy covered her face with her hand. “Oh, God. Oh, God. He had so much to drink tonight. Could he even walk?”

Peter ignored her question, already back to making out with the girl on his lap.

Mindy knew there was no way she was going to feel that overwhelmingly appealing sense of freedom again that night, not until she knew Danny was safe. She grabbed her purse and coat and pushed her way through the crowds until she finally made it outside and hailed herself a cab to take her home.

_I know you’re drunk out of your mind, but please text me when you get home so I know you’re safe._

She couldn’t fall asleep. She tossed and turned for an hour, thinking of all the ways Danny could have gotten himself in trouble. Maybe he got into an argument with a John Mellencamp fan or yelled at a tourist for not eating real New York pizza.

It was five minutes till 4:00, and she was just about ready to give up and call him when her phone buzzed an alert.

_I’m home._

Not even a thank you. Screw you, Danny Castellano.


	5. "Sweet Dreams" - Danny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindy’s parents come to visit after she has the baby.

“Mindy, why are your clothes all over the floor?” Danny squeaked as he walked into the bedroom holding two of her dresses in one hand and her bra and underwear in the other. “I just cleaned everything in this apartment top to bottom yesterday!”

Mindy sighed in resignation. “Because Danny, I’m tired from taking care of our baby, and I’m not really thinking about where things should be placed right now.” She was pacing around and patting Seth on his back. “I’m kind of focused on getting this overly energized child to get to sleep for more than twenty minutes! Why are you so stressed about it anyway?”

Danny went to the closet to grab a new set of clothes. Sweats were not gonna cut it. “I’m going to pick your parents up from the airport in five minutes, Mindy. FIVE MINUTES,” he called out. “I want both apartments to look perfect. They need to know that we’ve got this.” He came out, threw a black dress shirt and dark pair of jeans onto the bed, and began changing.

“Danny, I just had a baby. My parents would understand our apartment being messy, and no one even goes to the other apartment – I’m sure it’s –” Mindy suddenly stopped mid-sentence after turning around to face him. She scoffed, “Screw you, Danny.”

He pulled the black shirt from the bed and threw it on. “What?” he asked innocently.

“You look so good right now.” Mindy bit her lip in frustration, rubbing Seth’s back harder than before.

“Okay, no,” Danny chided her with a disapproving look. He quickly buttoned up. “Now is not the time.”

“I didn’t say now was the time! I’m just saying…I really, really…”

“Mindy, shut up.” He sighed and began making wild gestures, “Okay, did I put the soap and shampoo in the bathroom? I got one feminine one and one really masculine one. I hate when they try to make them neutral.”

Mindy removed one hand from Seth’s back and placed it on Danny’s shoulder. It was calming and authoritative at the same time. “Danny…get out.”

He nodded frantically before immediately switching into overprotective mode and rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “Will you be okay? I told Morgan to check in on you.”

“Yeah, Danny. I’ll be fine. I told you. I can handle this alone.” She was determined as she used the words she knew would cut him deepest.

He couldn’t hide the hurt on his face. “Okay,” Danny said in a small voice. “I’ll see you soon.”

.

Danny had sunken into his favorite brown leather chair. He felt like a complete intruder watching the Lahiris share stories as they took turns with Seth. Mr. and Mrs. Lahiri were overjoyed to see their grandson, handing him random toys and tossing them on the ground when he got bored of them. Seth had taken a liking to his grandfather’s mustache and his grandmother’s boisterous laugh. Danny was embarrassed at his jealousy of his son’s comfort with them. He, on the other hand, had praised God for Mrs. Lahiri’s talkative personality, one that Mindy clearly inherited, so no one would notice how uncomfortable he was.

Suddenly, the phone Danny had been twirling around in his hands rang, and he nearly dropped it on the floor. He had never been more grateful for a call in his life.

“Hey, babe—um, Mindy?” he caught himself. Danny wasn’t sure how her parents would react to these simple terms of endearment or random touches he and Mindy had grown used to sprinkling throughout their day. He veered on the side of formality and standoffishness to be safe.

Mindy and her parents looked up at him. “Yeah?”

“I just got a call from the hospital. Mrs. Park just went into labor.” He gestured with his thumb, “I’ve gotta head over.”

Mindy gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Sure, I understand.”

Mr. Lahiri had a much more enthusiastic and surprisingly proud response. “You take care of your responsibilities, son,” he nodded. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thank you for understanding, sir. Have a good night, everyone.” Danny got up, bent over to kiss Seth on the forehead, and grabbed his bag on the way out.

.

Danny quietly opened the door around one in the morning, tentatively stepping inside. The refrigerator door closed, startling him.

“Hello, Danny!” Mindy’s mother whispered excitedly. “How did it go?”

“Um, it…went well, Mrs. Lahiri. I’m sorry to be rude, but what are you doing here? Is there anything wrong with the other room? Do you need anything?”

She waved dismissively. “Not at all. I just wanted to make some tea, and obviously, since no one stays in the other apartment, there were no pots and pans.”

Danny nodded with apprehension. “Oh, okay.”

“Would you like some tea? I just had some and was putting your milk back, but I can always make another cup!”

Danny smiled politely, but added a certain weight to his voice as he said, “No, thank you, Mrs. Lahiri. Not to disrespect your culture, but I’m not a big fan of tea. It seems weak in the face of coffee.”

Mrs. Lahiri chuckled. “It may be a softer drink, but sometimes, we need the warmth and soothing nature of tea rather than the jarring sensation of something as strong as coffee.” She gave him a once-over. “You look like you could use something relaxing.”

Danny didn’t argue this time. He had been distant and rude and selfish enough. If he had to drink a bad cup of tea to get into Mindy’s parents’ good books, then hell, that was what he was going to do. Danny sat in silence as Mrs. Lahiri artfully added spices to tea leaves she had brought from India as they boiled. It was strange to see her so at ease in his living space only a few hours after she had arrived. Danny could already see the similarities between her and her daughter.

After enough silence, Mindy’s mother decided to jump right into conversation. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you nervous, Danny?”

“Nervous? About what?”

“About being a father, of course!” she smiled as she turned her head back to look at him briefly.

Danny furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at his hands resting on the cold, granite island. “Did Mindy say something?”

Mrs. Lahiri was genuinely shocked. “Mindy? About you? No, not at all!”

It was at that moment that Danny was reminded how little her parents had heard about him. “Right, um,” he shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Yeah, yeah, I guess I’m nervous. I just want to do right by him and always be there for him.” He paused. “I even kind of want to be that dad that takes his son to baseball games and forces him into father-son bonding and teaches him how to drive.”

Mrs. Lahiri smiled to herself as she poured the tea into a large olive green mug. “Of course you’ll get to do all that,” she said encouragingly after handing him the tea.

Danny remained silent, not knowing whether she knew about his father and not really wanting to talk about it either. Their family seemed so happy, and he just couldn’t imagine them truly understanding what he had gone through. He wrapped his hands around the mug and took a sip of the tea.

“Whoa.” He leaned back from the mug and coughed. “That’s, uh, got a little kick to it.”

Mrs. Lahiri laughed as she watched him struggle to drink the tea. “I put ginger in it. It gives it that stronger flavor you like, doesn’t it?” she teased mischievously.

Danny grinned and shook his head. “Yes, it does.”

“Well, I should get going.” Mrs. Lahiri headed towards the door with Danny following. “Sweet dreams, Danny!” she cheerfully called out to him.

Danny was a bit startled by the phrase. It always seemed reserved for little children prone to having nightmares, and Danny Castellano did not have nightmares…anymore…usually. Okay, so once in a while, he imagined himself waking up to find himself suffocating in the middle of a Mardi Gras celebration, but it wasn’t often!

“Sweet dreams, Mrs. Lahiri.”

He smiled as he shut the door behind her. Being part of the Lahiri family didn’t seem all that bad.


End file.
